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An Amazing Discovery
by John Lund
Exploring British Columbia’s Discovery Passage
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Discovery Passage is one of British Columbia’s most remarkable bodies of water for many reasons, but the most important is the wide diversity of boating pleasures to be found along this 20-mile stretch.
The Passage, which separates Vancouver Island from Quadra and Sonora islands, is named for one of Capt. George Vancouver’s ships, making Discover Passage exceedingly well named. It is well worth exploring if you are passing through to Vancouver Island’s more northern communities, or as a stop on the way to nearby Desolation Sound.
Besides being the main thoroughfare for commercial traffic bound north and south along the coast, it is also home to Campbell River -- Vancouver Island’s largest city north of Nanaimo. In addition to offering many shopping and marine services, Campbell River also has some of the nicest marinas, anchorages and dining spots on the coast – plus, some of the best salmon fishing you will find anywhere.
Discovery Passage is definitely a place to spend some time and investigate thoroughly. Following are some of the foremost spots to explore while cruising one of British Columbia’s most interesting waterways -- but first, let’s get you there safely.
Getting to Discovery Passage
Located at Vancouver Island’s midpoint, 175 miles north of Victoria, the southern entrance to Discovery Passage begins at Cape Mudge, located at the northern end of Georgia Strait. The northern exit is at Chatham Point. To navigate Discovery Passage, you will find Canadian Hydrographic Service charts #3312, #3513, #3539 and #3540 helpful.
Boaters should be warned that massive amounts of water flow through Discovery Passage, with the flood stream setting south and the ebb north. During large tides, currents of 5 and 7 knots are normal. Two areas on Discovery Passage are noteworthy, Cape Mudge and Seymour Narrows, which we will cover later.
Cape Mudge is located at the southern end of Quadra Island and is marked by a lighthouse surrounded by red-roofed, white buildings. The Cape has given a lot of grief to vessels over the years. A strong southeaster meeting a strong flood tide can be a particularly nasty experience.
If the southeast wind is up, enter the Passage at, or after, high water slack. At other times, you will see this area blanketed by small fishing craft on the hunt for coho and chinook salmon.
Campbell River
Over the past few years, Campbell River has changed from a small fishing town to a lovely modern tourist and recreation city. Today, it offers a terrific assortment of facilities and services for the visiting boater, to the point where my crew feels that this city is a must-stop if you are anywhere in the mid-island region.
Campbell River maintains its long-held reputation as the “Salmon Capital of the World,” but it also offers first-class hotels, marinas, shopping, dining and recreation of every description. The city has three riprap breakwater-protected marinas to choose from.
Campbell River Harbour Authority Small Boat Basin
The southernmost marina has public docks largely used by the area’s commercial vessels, with room put aside for visiting yachts. The attraction here is the fact that it is right downtown and has some particularly fine marine and fishing supply stores nearby (including Ocean Pacific Marine Supply and Shipyard). Also next door is Discovery Pier, Canada’s first saltwater fishing pier, which is fully lit and open 24 hours a day.
The marina is open all year and has water and 20 amp power on the docks. There are two tidal grids, pay phones, restrooms, and shower and laundry facilities nearby. The marina’s contact number is (250) 287-7931.
Coast Marina
Also located midtown, the well-appointed Coast Marina is located in front of the Coast Discovery Inn, which offers many amenities to visiting boaters. Able to accommodate vessels from 15 to 150 feet, Coast Marina encourages advance reservations and can be contacted via VHF Channel 73 or by calling (250) 287-7155.
The wide concrete docks have 30, 50 and 100 amp power and water. Nearby are a pumpout station, a fuel dock, showers, restrooms and laundry facilities. Marina patrons are invited to use the hotel’s fitness center and hot tub. The hotel has a fine restaurant, plus a pub and a wine and beer store.
Tyee Plaza, conveniently adjacent to the hotel, has a variety of retail shops and services, including the Campbell River Visitors Information Center and Chamber of Commerce, should you want to pick up guide books and brochures detailing the area’s myriad recreational possibilities. To name just a few activities, there’s golf, scuba diving, ocean kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, helicopter tours, and adventure tours by Zodiac that include killer whale watching, rapids tours and even a bear watching tour.
Discovery Harbour Marina
The largest and the northernmost marina in Campbell River is Discovery Harbour Marina, which is owned and operated by the Campbell River Indian Band. Since I first visited this marina in 1990, its first year of operation, much has changed.
Instead of being at the edge of town, attached to an empty field, the new 52-acre, 50-store Discovery Harbour Centre has been built, changing the entire complexion of the marina. This is now a first-class facility with every convenience needed to make your Discovery Passage visit a memorable one.
The marina has 2,300 feet of visitor’s moorage capable of handling vessels up to 150 feet. (Actually, the record size was 164 feet, but the restricting factor is the marina’s depth.) Vessels drawing 14 feet are in danger of touching. The docks have 20, 30, 50 and 100 amp power and water. Restrooms, shower and laundry facilities, a garbage drop and an Esso fuel station are nearby.
According to marina manager Dean Drake, the Campbell River Indian Band runs a training program for young people who work at the marina. As a result, customer service here is top-notch, with friendly young staff ready to take a line and offer tips on where to find everything from marine supplies to the elusive salmon.
The major attraction here is the ease and range of shopping to be found just a few steps from the top of the ramp. The Canadian Superstore is nearby, as are Canadian Tire, Zeller’s, Ocean Pacific Marine Supply’s new store, a liquor store, several fine restaurants and fast food places -- and even a Starbuck’s coffee shop.
Campbell River has arrived.
If Pacific Northwest art is of interest to you, you will love Wei Wai Kum House of Treasures, located right next to the marina. It’s an American Indian art gallery built of logs to resemble a West Coast longhouse.
April Point Lodge and Marina/Painter’s Lodge
Across Discovery Passage on Quadra Island is April Point Lodge, a wonderful escape place that calls itself “your eco-nature vacation destination.” For boaters, the important thing here is the beautifully located full-service marina where patrons get full run of two first-class hotels, April Point Lodge and Painter’s Lodge, a free 10-minute shuttle boat ride away on Vancouver Island.
When entering the bay formed between Quadra and Gowlland islands, there is a red spar buoy at the entrance, marking a shoal. Leave the buoy to starboard.
The channel gets quite narrow at low tide, but stay to port of the buoy and you will be fine. You’ll see the marina docks tucked behind the Lodge in a quiet, secluded bay in protected Gowlland Harbour.
The anchorage in Gowlland Harbour should be reached from the north end of Gowlland Island. Watch for Entrance Rock, if headed to this lovely anchorage.
In addition to 20, 30 and 50 amp power, April Point Marina has moorage for vessels to 200 feet, cable television, and laundry and shower facilities.
Marina visitors may enjoy all the services at the lodge -- including dining, a sushi bar and a great patio deck overlooking Discovery Passage. It’s common to see enormous cruise ships passing across the sun as it sets over Vancouver Island’s mountain range. Patrons can rent kayaks, mountain bikes or motor scooters at the lodge, or arrange to be taken salmon fishing by experienced guides.
If things are too quiet at April Point and you want to head to town, you can hop aboard the shuttle that runs between April Point Lodge, the marina and famous Painter’s Lodge and, from there, hop a cab into town. The Oak Bay Marine Group, North America’s largest owner of sportfishing resorts, owns both hotels. Therefore, despite the fact that Painter’s has no moorage other than scores of pullout racks for its fleet of Boston Whalers, boaters moored at April Point Marina get full run of both resorts.
Painter’s Lodge is a unique combination of holiday and fishing resort. Since 1929, guests have come here for the renowned salmon fishing. Photographs of many famous celebrities decorate the walls of the Tyee Club Trophy Room. Stars such as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Susan Hayward, Lou Costello, John Wayne, Glenn Ford and Vincent Price were regulars at Painter’s.
Boaters staying at April Point Lodge might like to take advantage of Painter’s swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center and hot tubs, not to mention its fine Legends Dining Room and the Fireside Lounge. This “two hotels for the price of one” arrangement makes moorage at April Point Lodge and Marina a unique Northwest experience.
Quadra Island itself is worthy of exploration by road and by waterway. Well-known stops like Quathiaski Cove -- where there’s a ferry landing, fuel station and public dock -- and Heriot Bay, Kanish Bay, Small Inlet and the Octopus Islands all beg to be explored, but that is a story for another day. Discovery Passage has one more stop worthy of note: Brown’s Bay, located at the north end of Seymour Narrows on Vancouver Island.
Seymour Narrows
When headed farther north on Discovery Passage, you must navigate the narrow cliff-sided 2-mile stretch of water called Seymour Narrows. Here, currents reach 16 knots on the flood (south) and 14 knots on the ebb (north). Seymour Narrows is a busy pass, and, in summer, it is used regularly by cruise ships, tugs pulling log booms, commercial fishboats and recreational vessels of all shapes and sizes.
Use extreme caution in this area, and only travel it within a half hour of slack water. When wind is present, eddies and swirls can be dangerous for small boats.
Brown’s Bay Marina
Billed as the Gateway to the Outer Islands, this family-oriented vacation spot is a favorite for many northbound boaters who make this their regular stop, each year. There is 1,800 feet of visitor’s moorage available on docks that have 15, 20, 30 and 50 amp power and water.
The marina is open all year and has restrooms, shower and laundry facilities, a pumpout and propane. The fuel station supplies gasoline, diesel and propane, and has oil-changing facilities and waste oil disposal. A nearby store has groceries, ice, fishing gear and bait. There are floating accommodations and a licensed restaurant.
Salmon fishing is excellent, and scuba divers should know that Brown’s Bay Marina is the closest marina to the recently sunk HMCS Columbia, a decommissioned destroyer sunk one mile away off Maud Island.
It seems that the more you explore this extraordinary stretch of water, the more there is to learn, see and experience. Spend some time in this region, and I think you will agree -- Discovery Passage is very well named.
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This article first appeared in the July 1, 2001 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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